Following the trials held at the Police Sports Club Ground, Eve Leary, last Friday, the Athletics Assoc-iation of Guyana (AAG) has short-listed 28 athletes to attend the first stage of the 2008 Inter-Guiana Games (IGG)to be held in Suriname from May 1st-4th.
The athletes who have been short-listed are: Leota Bobb, Ianna Graham, Tisha Grimes, Letitia Myles, Phillycia Burke, Jevina Straker, Janella Jonas, Alika Morgan, Roxanna Rigby, Natasha Doris, Lisa Bowman, Carlissa Atkinson, Lashauna Benjamin, Carlwyn Collins, Vallon Adams, Trieston Joseph, Mikael Williams, Timothy Doris, Learie Campbell, Carlon Halley, Obie Haddaway, Michael Bowman, Delon Grandison, Jonathon Fagundes, Ryan Crandon, Carlon Pitt, Tyshon Bentick and Winston Caesar.
According to a press release from the AAG, all of these athletes are required to attend a meeting at the YMCA Ground, Thomas Lands, today at 5pm. Athletes are also asked to have their passports in possession at today’s meeting.
Since Guyana did not participate in last year’s athletics phase of the competition, the majority of the athletes who have been short-listed will be making their debut at these championships. Some of the returning participants include Leota Bobb of the Police Progressive Youth Club who will be hoping to claim victory in the 100m and 200m, along with Trieston Joseph from the Royals Youth Movement, who will also be looking to claim a sprint-double as he has won every event that he has competed in for the 2008 track season.
Joseph has so far impressed selectors with a season’s best of 10.8s in the 100m and 22.7s in the 200m at last month’s Carifta trials, followed by his dominance at last Friday’s trials where he once again claimed victory in the 100m and 200m sprints.
Carlwyn Collins, who has recently been outstanding in the 200m and 400m sprints, may only participate in the latter event after he placed fifth in the 200m last Friday.
Collins, who won the 400m on Friday in just above 52 seconds, had reportedly suffered muscle cramps on the day of competition and was not at his optimum for the 200m final which was scheduled some 15 minutes after the 400m.
Alika Morgan and training partner Janella Jonas will be looking to have a clean sweep of the female distance events. Jonathon Fagundes, Carlon Halley and Tyshon Bentick will also try to continue Guyana’s recent dominance in the male distance events which was maintained by past IGG participants Denis Horatio and Cleveland Thomas.
